Residents Find Mortars Of World War II: Thought Umbi Talas, Strongly Revoked

Mortars found by residents/ Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - A member of the Military District Command (Kodim) 0409/Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu, handed over the findings of a mortar suspected of being a former world war II to the local police for destruction.

"We have handed it over to the police to detonate it. That's what found the residents and taken to Koramil 409-05 Curup," said Acting Chief of Staff of the Kodim (Kasdim) 0409/Rejang Lebong, Antara, Sunday, April 21.

He explained that the 81 Tampela mortar munitions found by residents were located in Karang Jaya Village, Selupu Rejang District, on Friday 19 April, at around 11.30 WIB.

According to him, this object was brought by residents directly so that it could endanger the lives of the residents themselves and others.

The mortar itself has been examined by Denpal II/I Curup officers, and it is known that it does not have a pius at the top and a sliding tail, but it can explode if it is hit by a hard object or burned.

"Our message is that if you find items that are in the form of munitions or explosives in the past, don't be tampered with, just leave them on the spot and report them to members of the TNI/Polri, I'm afraid they are still active," he explained.

Meanwhile, Head of Public Relations of the Rejang Lebong Police, AKP Sinar Simanjuntak, explained that the 81 Tampela mortar munitions had been secured at the Selupu Rejang Police Headquarters by planting it in the ground before being destroyed by the Bengkulu Police.

"The object was found by two residents of Simpang Nangka Village, Selupu Rejang Subdistrict, who were in talas tubers in the irrigation canal flow located in Karang Jaya Village, Selupu Rejang District," he said.

While looking for this talas tuber, he added, the two residents found objects that resembled taro tubers, and when they were lifted they felt heavy and hard.

Feeling that the items found were dangerous, then the two handed over the MORl 81 Tampela munitions to the Koramil 409-05 Curup picket. This finding was then handed over by members of the Curup Koramil to the Selupu Rejang Police.